Sheffield United: Women complete superb transfer swoop

Little, aged 34, was club captain of Super League side Liverpool last season and has previously won promotion to the top-flight with Doncaster Belles. She played alongside Carla Ward, United's manager, at Lincoln a decade ago.

"I’m delighted to have signed for the club and am really looking forward to the season ahead," Little said. "When I met with Carla and she set out the vision for this squad and the club as a whole, not just for this coming season but for the future, it was something I wanted to be a part of."

"On meeting the girls, I feel we have a good mixture of talented youth and experienced players and I’m excited to be part of this group," Little added. "We have a great pre-season schedule to help us gel as a group.

"We have high expectations this season and I can’t wait to get going now."

United, who unveiled Katie Wilkinson and Naomi Hartley earlier this week, return to competitive action at Aston Villa next month.

"We are delighted to be bringing in Leandra, she brings a huge amount of invaluable experience and quality to the team, and someone who the players will learn an awful lot from," Ward said.